ILBA - Chapter 5

So this chapter both took me much longer than expected, and is shorter than expected. The problem being, this was kind of a necessary chapter, but both school and introductions are hard when the characters are six. I think it turned out fine, and now we can get to the more intresting chapters of Issi and Lulu getting a gang together and having adventures.

While the other kids were busy putting their things away I ran up to Mrs Mayberry, Lulu a few steps behind me. “Mrs teacher lady, what do I do about Sir Froggington?” I asked, holding up my frog.

Mrs Mayberry paused for a moment, then leaned over and patted me on the head. “Isabelle, right? We’re not going to practice with our powers today, so are you willing to part with Sir Froggington, and leave him to guard your stuff for a little while.”

I frowned slightly as I considered her words, before nodding. “It’s an important job, but someone has to do it!” I declared confidently.

Next, Mrs Mayberry crouched down, and looked over at Lulu, who was half hidden behind me. “Do you need anything Lulu?” she asked. My friend shook her head frantically as she held the back of my coat. Mrs Mayberry smiled. “I’ve heard how nervous you are around new people, and I hope you open up to me and your classmates in the long run, but in order to make you comfortable I placed you in the farthest desk to the left with Isabelle on your right, is that ok?” she asked.

“Yes…” Lulu managed to answer. She even worked up the courage to step up to my side, even if she couldn’t look our teacher in the face.

“Very good! Now, why don’t you two put your stuff away and get to your desks, your classmates are almost done,” Mrs Mayberry said, motioning towards the back of the room. Indeed, many of the kids were already heading to their desks, so I nodded and pulled Lulu back towards the cubbies.

It took us a minute to get our gear off. I had to help Lulu since her coat was so puffy that she had trouble reaching her backpack, so I had to help her again. Once we’d managed to put our coats and bags into the spaces, I perched Sir Froggington at the edge of my cubby. “You stay alert!” I told him, before rushing to my desk.

Mrs Mayberry clapped her hands to bring everyone’s attention to the front of the room. “Now that you’ve all settled in, I think it would be nice for everyone to introduce themselves. You can say as much, or little, as you want. I’ll even start to give you some ideas,” she said with a smile. “As you all know, I’m Mrs Mayberry and I’ll be your teacher for this year. When I’m not at school, I like to play music and spend time with my family.” She gestured to the far side of the room, which was good because I think Lulu would have fainted if she received everyone’s attention first. “Montgomery, how about you go next.”

Since our desks were arranged in a semi-circle I could clearly see everyone. At the far end of the row was the red-haired boy, who still had boogers hanging from his nose. He popped out of his seat and stood proudly in front of his desk. “I’m Montgomery Adams. My dad owns the tech depot outside town, and I can make shiny objects!” the boy declared triumphantly. I blinked, that didn’t sound all that impressive.

When Montgomery sat down, the boy next to him stood up. He was a wiry kid with a mop of grey hair. “I’m Broca Seymour… I don’t like going out much,” he mumbled.

“But you get to play with squirrels!” I blurted out, earning me a look from Mrs Mayberry.

“That’s why I don’t like going out. They like me, I don’t like them,” he grumbled. I expected him to say something more, but he just plunked down into his chair again.

The third person in the row was a tall girl, at least for our age, with ruddy red hair and freckles, wearing a pair of overalls. She practically sprang from her seat, and stood next to her desk proudly. “I’m Minerva Galanos! My mom and I came here from Greece when I was young. She was a hero back there, and I’m going to follow her example!” she declared. She bounced on the spot for a couple seconds, like she was trying to figure out what to say before nodding and returning to her seat.

Beside her was the quiet girl from before. She slowly pushed herself to her feet, and stood there for a minute before saying, “Melody Mayberry,” quietly and immediately sitting down again.

“Like Mayberry? Like Mrs Mayberry?” Minerva asked, swiveling towards Melody.

“Yes, Melody is my daughter. She came of age this year, just like the rest of you, but don’t worry, she won’t be given special treatment.” Mrs Mayberry announced. “Isabelle, would you like to go next?” she asked as the class turned towards me.

I immediately popped out of my chair. “I’m Isabelle Claire, also known as Issi! And I became a stuffy shuffler!” I declared.

“What’s a stuffy shuffler?” Montgomery asked. 

“I can make my stuffies move! Well… it’s only a little bit now, but one day I’ll make them dance!” I replied proudly, which earned a snort from Mountgomary’s direction. A quick glance from Ms Mayberry silenced him though.

The room went quiet for a minute, and everyone looked toward Lulu, which caused her to finch and sink further into her seat. I, on the other hand, shot to my feet and immediately walked over and took her hand. It took a moment, but the action gave Lulu courage. 

“I’m… Lucille Annibelle Dupont,” Lulu mumbled, “I’m a lambkin.” As soon as managed to get the words out she sat back down and slumped down in her chair.

“And if any of you try to bully her, you’ll have to deal with me!” I declared. Most of my classmates seemed unimpressed by my declaration, but Minerva nodded approvingly

“Isabelle, even though I appreciate you supporting your friend, you don’t have to make such statements. This class is a safe space, and I hope that you can all learn to get along,” Ms Mayberry explained. “That being said, if you have any issues, you should let me know immediately, so I can help you resolve them,” she finished seriously.

I nodded at my teacher, she seemed like a sensible adult, then sat back in my seat. 

“Well, that didn’t go exactly as I expected,” Ms Mayberry mumbled, “but at least we’ve all managed to introduce ourselves.” She stepped back around her desk and up to the massive white board sitting next to her desk. “Now, your school day will be split into two separate parts. For part of the day you’ll be in this room, learning the basic subjects like math, english, and science, but the rest of the day we’ll head to the gym for physical education, and super power practice.

“How are we supposed to do that?” Broca asked. “My power is a little… hard to deal with,” he finished before slouching in his seat.

“Your families provided us with a complete list of your powers, and the school has an extensive library on how to best train you. It might take some time to figure out exactly what works for each of you, but we’ll find a way,” Ms Mayberry replied with a smile. “Don’t worry, your family explained your situation, and we won’t expose you to animals until you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” Broca mumbled in response. I didn’t have a clue why he didn’t want to be around animals, he seemed to be having a blast on the playground.

“Now,” Ms Mayberry said, taking one of the colorful markers off her desk, “Everyone go get one of the notebooks out of your bag, and I’ll do a basic overview of all your subjects. Hope you’re ready to learn!”